The concept under discussion is curious and central to our work: is patient dissatisfaction with modern TKA really a “growing problem”? Could it be, that as our technique and technology have improved function and durability, that surgical results have become worse????. A disappointing percentage of patients polled from a distance are less than fully satisfied with the results of their surgery. Why does this surprise us as surgeons?. This problem needs to be untangled. First, these studies ask patients blankly if they are satisfied with their surgery, generally and with respect to specific criteria (e.g. activities of daily living). Neither the patients nor their radiographs have been evaluated. Undoubtedly, some dissatisfied patients will have arthroplasties that would be assessed as less than perfect by a comprehensive evaluation that might include stability testing, range of motion and radiographs of patellar tracking, including CT examination for rotational positioning of components. Some will have suffered the recognised complications of surgery such as chronic regional pain syndrome and infections which, while treated, often yield poor results. Surgeons all too often abandon a systematic and comprehensive evaluation, almost dismissing patients who complain. A second group will be disabled due to physical factors extrinsic to the arthroplasty: polyarthritis, deconditioning and medical comorbidities. Others suffer depression and are disappointed that life never improved after the arthroplasty. Thirdly, another group will have knees that could not technically have been any better, but who are still dissatisfied with the result. Some had expectations that exceeded the capability of current technology to reproduce knee function. Their surgeons failed to convey the potential of arthroplasty to make things “normal” in a way that the patient could incorporate. Other patients may have submitted to surgery prematurely, before arthritis and knee dysfunction, had reached the point where arthroplasty represents an improvement. The concept of a “growing problem”, has more to do with the disjunction between rapidly accelerating public expectations (fueled by modern medicine) and the more modest rate of progress in technology, technique and education. Happy patients tend to be satisfied and there are a great many factors that determine happiness. Assessment depends on tools for measurement. Surgeons have struggled honestly to develop tools that could help assess which prostheses and techniques were superior, to make wise choices in developing techniques and implants. Many of the original clinical assessment tools have been challenged as invalid. Newer more comprehensive tools have been developed. The “evidence based” movement, and rejection of some clinical tools, represents a shift in power in clinical medicine that has “enabled payers, purchasers, and governmental authorities to use their financial clout to alter the practice of medicine.” (. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/evidence-based-reports/jhppl/rodwin.html. ). This information is a call for practitioners to evaluate dissatisfied individuals compassionately and objectively and for investigators to evaluate the entire problem exhaustively. Skepticism is appropriate when this message is a glib pretext for commercialisation and/or for denigration of the role of arthroplasty in the lives of our patients. It is a call to improve, not abandon our craft

Despite the widely accepted advantages of total knee arthroplasty surgery, not all patients are completely satisfied. This was initially reported with studies from the Swedish Registry and indicates room for improvement in our craft. But who says this is a “growing concern”? First of all are the third party payers and government agencies who would like to curtail expenditures and retain funds. Next are manufacturers promoting new, and one would hope, improved products and finally surgeons similarly promoting new techniques.

But who are the minority of dissatisfied patients and why are they unhappy? There is no reduction in demand for arthroplasty surgery by patients worldwide.

TKA is among the fastest growing interventions in medicine, with procedure incidence increasing the most in younger patients. Global knee scores have a ceiling effect and do not capture the presence of difficulty or dissatisfaction with specific activities important to patients.

We quantified the degree of residual symptoms and specific functional deficits in young patients who had undergone TKA.

In a national multicenter study, we quantified the degree of residual symptoms and specific functional deficits in 661 young patients (mean age, 54 years; range, 19–60 years; 61% female) at 1 to 4 years after primary TKA.

To eliminate observer bias, satisfaction and function data were collected by an independent, third-party survey center with expertise in administering medical outcomes questionnaires.

Overall, 89% of patients were satisfied with their ability to perform normal daily living activities, and 91% were satisfied with their pain relief. After TKA, 66% of patients indicated their knees felt normal, 33% reported some degree of pain, 41% reported stiffness, 33% reported grinding/other noises, 33% reported swelling/tightness, 38% reported difficulty getting in and out of a car, 31% reported difficulty getting in and out of a chair, and 54% reported difficulty with stairs. After recovery, 47% reported complete absence of a limp and 50% had participated in their most preferred sport or recreational activity in the past 30 days.

When interviewed by an independent third party, about 1/3 of young patients reported residual symptoms and limitations after modern TKA. We recommend informing patients considering surgery about the high likelihood of residual symptoms and limitations after contemporary TKA, even when performed by experienced surgeons in high-volume centers, and taking specific steps to set patients’ expectations to a level that is likely to be met by the procedure as it now is performed.

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) is a successful treatment for end stage osteoarthritis of the knee joint. However, post-operative pain can lead to patient dissatisfaction and poorer outcomes. Cooled radiofrequency nerve ablation (CRNA) has reportedly been effective at treating pain osteoarthritic knee pain by targeting the periarticular nerves of the knee. We undertook a prospective, controlled pilot study to determine if CRNA provides effective post-operative analgesia when utilised intra-operatively during total knee arthroplasty. Participants were recruited from January 2019 to February 2020. Those meeting inclusion criteria underwent TKA with intraoperative CRNA to 6 target sites prior to the cementing of implants. The primary outcomes were pain scores and opiate usage in the first 4 days post-operatively, then weekly up to 6 weeks. A total of 62 patients were screened and allocated sequentially; 18 were recruited to the control group and 12 recruited to the study group. The two groups did not have any significant difference in demographics. There were no clinically significant differences between the two groups in terms of pain scores nor opiate usage. There were complications as a result of the intervention. This study demonstrated no benefit of using intraoperative CRNA for improving post-operative pain scores or reducing opiate use after TKA

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are debilitating injuries, often managed via ACL reconstruction (ACLR). Reduced range of motion (ROM), particularly loss of extension (LOE), is the most significant contributor to post-operative patient dissatisfaction. LOE may preclude return to sport, increase re-rupture rates and precipitate osteoarthritis. Passive LOE rates following ACLR have been reported at 15%. However, LOE incidence during active tasks are poorly characterised. Our review sought to determine knee extension angles for active tasks following an ACL injury or ACLR. We hypothesised greater incidences of active LOE following ACL injury or ACLR, compared to uninjured contralateral limbs or controls. We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and relevant trials databases for English articles. Included were cohort, cross-sectional, case-controlled or randomised controlled trials analysing adults with ACL injury treated surgically or otherwise, with at least 12-weeks follow-up and reporting either active knee extension angle, active LOE angles or incidence of active knee LOE during functional tasks. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018092295). Subsequent meta-analysis was performed. After screening, 71 eligible articles were included. Studies were heterogenous in design and quality. Included tasks were overground walking (n=44), running (n=3), hopping/jumping/cutting (n=11) single-leg landing (n=7), and stair climbing (n=6). LOE incidence varied depending on functional activities (33.95-92.74%). LOE incidence did not vary depending on ACL status (67.26% vs. 65.90% vs. 62.57% for ACL intact, ACLD and ACLR, respectively). We observed no difference in active LOE incidence according to ACL status. Importantly, the observed incidence for active LOE was reliably higher than previously reported rates for passive measures. Given the discrepancy between active and passive LOE incidence, clinicians may advisably prioritise active ROM during ACL rehabilitation

Introduction. The patella experiences large forces and variable kinematic patterns throughout flexion which could influence function and patient satisfaction after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze in vivo patellar mechanism forces and kinematics throughout flexion to determine influencing factors that may lead to patient dissatisfaction. Methods. Fifty subjects were evaluated in this study, 40 having a Journey II bi-cruciate stabilized (BCS) TKA and 10 having normal, healthy knees. Similar demographics were controlled for each group. Each subject performed a deep knee bend. Kinematics were evaluated using a validated 3D-to-2D fluoroscopic technique while forces were determined using a validated inverse mathematical knee model. A two-tailed t-test was used to evaluate statistical significance. Results. Subjects averaged 2.96 ± 0.30 xBW and 2.82 ± 0.27 xBW of maximum femorotibial contact forces, 4.07 ± 0.39 xBW and 3.30 ± 0.55 xBW of maximum quadriceps forces, and 4.20 ± 0.94 xBW and 3.94 ± 0.67 xBW of maximum patellofemoral forces for the BCS and normal groups, respectively. Therefore, the TKA subjects in this study experienced larger, but similar forces compared to the normal subjects. For both groups, lateral condylar rollback was correlated with both femorotibial contact forces (p<0.0001) and quadriceps forces (p<0.0002). Higher patellotibial tilt was correlated with lower patellofemoral contact forces (p=0.0294). Conclusion. Most TKAs resect the ACL and only substitute for the PCL in PS TKAs, but BCS subjects may receive an advantage for ACL substitution as they experienced normal-like kinematic and kinetic patterns. The lone exception seems to be the quadriceps forces which were higher in the BCS TKA group. This could be influenced by femoral condylar shape, leading to earlier quadriceps wrapping

Despite total knee arthroplasty demonstrating high levels of success, 20% of patients report dissatisfaction with their result. Wellness Stasis Socks are embedded with a proprietary pattern of neuro-receptor activation points that have been proven to activate a precise neuro-response, as according to the pattern theory of haptic perception, which stimulates improvements in pain and function. Technologies that manipulate this sensory environment, such as textured insoles, have proven to be effective in improving gait patterns in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In regard to patients undergoing TKA using this new technology may prove beneficial as an adjunct to recovery as many patients suffer from further deficits to their proprioceptive system caused by ligamentous damage and alterations to mechanoreceptors during procedure. We hypothesized that the Wellness Stasis Socks are a safe, cost-effective and easily scalable strategy to support TKA patients through their recovery. Double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Randomization using a computer-generated program . All study coordinators, healthcare personel and patients were blinded to patient groups. All surgical procedures were conducted by the same technique and orthopaedic surgeon. Intervention group: Wellness Stasis socks containing receptor point-activation technology. Control group: indentical appearing Wellness Stasis socks without receptor point-activation technology. Sock use during the waking hours . All additional post-operative protocols remained consistent between groups including same facility physiotherapy . Additional modalities (ice machines, soft-tissue massages, acupuncture) were prohibited. WOMAC questionnaire completed at baseline, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks to assess pain, stiffness and physical function. G. *. Power software to determine minimum sample of 50 in each group. No patients were lost to follow up and all followed study protocol. Data analysis using SPSS software. P-values, effect sizes, and confidence intervals are reported to assess clinical relevance of the finding. Physical status classifications were compared using t-test. Within-subject and between-subject differences in the mean WOMAC were analyzed by ANOVA. Cramer's V statistical analysis noted that other variables of Sex, BMI, ASA classification and Age were not statistically different between the control and intervention groups. No statistical difference between groups in Preop Womac scores. The data showed a consistent improvement in Womac scores for pain and stiffness at 2 weeks post op in the interventional group over the control group. The womac scores assessing physical function showed a consistent improvement at both 2 and 6 weeks post op in the intervention group compared to the control group. There were no complications in either group associated the sock use. The intervention proved to be a low cost and safe additional intervention post operatively from TKA to help patients improve with regard to pain, stiffness and physical function. This study suggests this modality can be added to the list of other commonly used post op interventions such as cryocuffs, physiotherapy, and relaxation techniques as safe post op interventions to help patients improve post op TKA and can act as an adjunct in providing non narcotic pain control

Total knee arthroplasty is a successful procedure that reduces knee pain and improves function in most patients with knee osteoarthritis. Patient dissatisfaction however remains high, and along with implant longevity, may be affected by component positioning. Surgery in obese patients is more technically challenging with difficulty identifying appropriate landmarks for alignment and more difficult exposure of the joint. Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) has been introduced with the goal to increase accuracy of component positioning by custom fitting cutting guides to the patient using advanced imaging. A strong criticism of this new technology however, is the cost associated. The purpose of this study was to determine, using a prospective, randomized-controlled trial, the cost-effectiveness of PSI compared to standard instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty in an obese patient population. Patients with a body mass index greater than 30 with osteoarthritis and undergoing a primary total knee arthroplasty were included in this study. We randomized patients to have their procedure with either standard instrumentation (SOC) or PSI. At 12-weeks post-surgery patients completed a self-reported cost questionnaire and the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). We performed a cost-effectiveness analyses from a public health payer and societal perspective. As we do not know the true cost of the PSI instrumentation, we estimated a value of $100 for our base case analysis and used one-way sensitivity analyses to determine the effect of different values (ranging from $0 to $500) would have on our conclusions. A total of 173 patients were enrolled in the study with 86 patients randomized to the PSI group and 87 to the SOC group. We found the PSI group to be both less effective and more costly than SOC when using a public payer perspective, regardless of the cost of the PSI. From a societal perspective, PSI was both less costly, but also less effective, regardless of the cost of the PSI. The mean difference in effect between the two groups was −1.61 (95% CI −3.48, 026, p=0.091). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $485.71 per point increase in the WOMAC, or $7285.58 per clinically meaningful difference (15 points) in the WOMAC. Overall, our results suggest that PSI is not cost-effective compared to standard of care from a public payer perspective. From a societal perspective, there is some question as to whether the decreased effect found with the PSI group is worth the reduced cost. The main driver of the cost difference appears to be time off of volunteer work, which will need to be investigated further. In future, we will continue to follow these patients out to one year to collect cost and effectiveness data to investigate whether these results remain past 12 weeks post-surgery

Introduction. Functional deficits persist in a significant percentage of total hip arthroplasties (THA), leading to patient dissatisfaction. Spinal stenosis is a leading cause of chronic disability and lower extremity weakness. Although previous studies have evaluated the potential benefit of THA on back pain, none have reported the effects of spine disability on functional outcomes and patient satisfaction with THA. Methods. 244 primary THAs (233 patients) with minimum 2-year follow-up rated their satisfaction, return to activity, and standard hip outcomes using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS). History of lumbar spine pain, lumbar surgery, and daily activity limitations was documented and an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score was calculated. Results. 151 of 244 (62%) patients reported a history of back problems: 35 patients (14%) – history of lumbar surgery, 91 (37%) – daily low back pain, and 97 (40%) – back pain that limited activity. Patients with a history of back problems had lower OHS scores than those without, p=0.0001. Pain relief was reported by 93% versus resumption of activities in 82% of THA patients, p=0.025. Increasing spine disability, as determined by ODI, correlated with poor OHS, p<0.0001. Spine disability (ODI) was directly associated with patient dissatisfaction for pain relief (R=0.41, p<0.0001), return to activity (R=0.34, p<0.0001), and overall surgical results (ODI, R=0.38, p<0.0001) at 2 years after THA. Patient age, gender, and BMI were not associated with poor THA outcomes. Conclusions. The majority of THA patients have a history of lumbar spine problems. The Oswestry Spine Disability Index, which is the primary outcome measure of spinal disorders, correlated strongly with poor THA outcomes. Moderate and severe lumbar spine disability directly correlated with worse Oxford Hip Scores. Spine disability was directly associated with THA dissatisfaction

Iliopsoas tendonitis after total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be a considerable cause of pain and patient dissatisfaction. The optimal cup position to avoid iliopsoas tendonitis has not been clearly established. Implant designs have also been developed with an anterior recess to avoid iliopsoas impingement. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to determine the effect of cup position and implant design on iliopsoas impingement. Bilateral THA was performed on three fresh frozen cadavers using oversized (jumbo) offset head center revision acetabular cups with an anterior recess (60, 62 and 66 mm diameter) and tapered wedge primary stems through a posterior approach. A 2mm diameter flexible stainless steel cable was inserted into the psoas tendon sheath between the muscle and the surrounding membrane to identify the location of the psoas muscle radiographically. CT scans of each cadaver were imported in an imaging software. The acetabular shells, cables as well as pelvis were segmented to create separate solid models of each. The offset head center shell was virtually replaced with an equivalent diameter hemispherical shell by overlaying the outer shell surfaces of both designs and keeping the faces of shells parallel. The shortest distance between each shell and cable was measured. To determine the influence of cup inclination and anteversion on psoas impingement, we virtually varied the inclination (30°/40°/50°) and anteversion (10°/20°/30°) angles for both shell designs. The CT analysis revealed that the original orientation (inclination/anteversion) of the shells implanted in 3 cadavers were as follows: Left1: 44.7°/23.3°, Right1: 41.7°/33.8°, Left2: 40/17, Right2: 31.7/23.5, Left3: 33/2908, Right3: 46.7/6.3. For the offset center shells, the shell to cable distance in all the above cases were positive indicating that there was clearance between the shells and psoas. For the hemispherical shells, in 3 out of 6 cases, the distance was negative indicating impingement of psoas. With the virtual implantation of both shell designs at orientations 40°/10°, 40°/20°, 40°/30° we found that greater anteversion helped decrease psoas impingement in both shell designs. When we analyzed the influence of inclination angle on psoas impingement by comparing wire distances for three orientations (30°/20°, 40°/20°, 50°/20°), we found that the effect was less pronounced. Further analysis comparing the offset head center shell to the conventional hemispherical shell revealed that the offset design was favored (greater clearance between the shell and the wire) in 17 out of 18 cases when the effect of anteversion was considered and in 15 out of 18 cases when the effect of inclinations was considered. Our results indicate that psoas impingement is related to both cup position and implant geometry. For an oversized jumbo cup, psoas impingement is reduced by greater anteversion while cup inclination has little effect. An offset head center cup with an anterior recess was effective in reducing psoas impingement in comparison to a conventional hemispherical geometry. In conclusion, adequate anteversion is important to avoid psoas impingement with jumbo acetabular shells and an implant with an anterior recess may further mitigate the risk of psoas impingement

Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty is very successful although the clinical assessment and rated outcome does not always match the patients reported satisfaction. One reason for patient dissatisfaction is less than desired range of motion. Poor postoperative motion inhibits many functional activities and may create a perception of dysfunction. Early in the postoperative period when patients are having trouble regaining motion (usually 6–8 weeks), manipulation under anesthesia can be used to advance range of motion by manually lysing adhesions. Comorbidities have been used as predictors for outcome in total knee arthroplasty in population health studies. Likewise, predicting which patients are most susceptible to early postoperative stiffness/manipulation would be valuable for patient education and to predict outcome. Methods. Prospectively collected data was retrieved from the hospital's MARCQI database (Michigan Arthroplasty Collaborative Quality Initiative) for the years 2014–2018. There were 3098 primary total knees performed during the study period and 139 manipulations (4.44%). The registry specifically abstracts patients’ preoperative comorbidities, operative data, and 90-day postoperative complications. Results. There were 2118 Cruciate Retaining/Cruciate Stabilized knees (105 MUA), 801 Posterior Stabilized (33), and 41 Total Stabilized/Hinge (1), 2160 knees were cemented (91) and 799 uncemented (48). No differences were found between the manipulation and non-manipulation groups for gender, race, alcohol consumption, bleeding disorders, history of DVT or PE, Diabetes, or use of pre-op narcotics or anti-coagulents. Patients undergoing manipulation were younger (67.2 vs. 63.8, p= 0.00001), had a lower BMI (32.6 vs. 30.9 p= 0.0007), and were more likely to be non or former (quit) smokers. There were no differences noted for the constraint of the component (cr/ps), or whether the implants were cemented or uncemented (35% vs. 27%, p= 0.064). Conclusions. Understanding the risk for postoperative stiffness and the potential for manipulation is helpful in the preoperative period for patient education and outcome prediction. Assessing comorbidities and patient characteristics may help avoid the need for manipulations postoperatively. This patient cohort may be biased since the manipulations were not based on predetermined criteria. The cohort represents patients whose range of motion was poor enough to cause the surgeon to perform the procedure. The findings do however highlight a patient pool that was surprisingly at risk: younger, thinner, nonsmokers regardless the implant design or use of cement

Summary. The mathematical model has proven to be highly accurate in measuring leg length before and after surgery to determine how leg length effects hip joint mechanics. Introduction. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) has been proven to be one of the most concerning problems associated with total hip arthroplasty (THA). Long-term follow-up studies have documented the presence of LLD having direct correlation with patient dissatisfaction, dislocation, back pain, and early complications. Several researchers sought to minimize limb length discrepancy based on pre-operative radiological templating or intra-operative measurements. While often being a common occurrence in clinical practice to compensate for LLD intra-operatively, the center of rotation of the hip joint has often changes unintentionally due to excessive reaming. Therefore, the clinical importance of LLD is still difficult to solve and remains a concern for clinicians. Objective. The objective of this study is two-fold: (1) use a validated forward-solution hip model to theoretically analyze the effects of LLD, gaining better understanding of mechanisms leading to early complication of THA and poor patient satisfaction and (2) to investigate the effect of the altered center of rotation of the hip joint regardless LLD compensation. Methods. The theoretical mathematical model used in this study has been previously validated using fluoroscopic results from existing implant designs and telemetric devices. The model can be used to theoretically investigate various surgical alignments, approaches, and procedures. In this study, we analyzed LLD and the effects of the altered center of rotation regardless of LLD compensation surgeons made. The simulations were conducted in both swing and stance phase of gait. Results. During swing phase, leg shortening lead to loosening of the hip capsular ligaments and subsequently, variable kinematic patterns. The momentum of the lower leg increased to levels where the ligaments could not properly constrain the hip leading to the femoral head sliding from within the acetabular cup (Figure 1). This piston motion led to decreased contact area and increased contact stress within the cup. Leg lengthening did not yield femoral head sliding but increased joint tension and contact stress. A tight hip may be an influential factor leading to back pain and poor patient satisfaction. During stance phase, leg shortening caused femoral head sliding leading to decreased contact area and an increase in contact stress. Leg lengthening caused an increase in capsular ligaments tension leading to higher stress in the hip joint (Figure 2). Interestingly, when the acetabular cup was superiorized and the surgeon compensated for LLD, thus matching the pre-operative leg length by increasing the neck length of the femoral implant, the contact forces and stresses were marginally increased at heel strike (Figure 3). Conclusion and Discussion. Altering the leg length during surgery can lead to higher contact forces and contact stresses due to tightening the hip joint or increasing likelihood of hip joint separation. Leg shortening often lead to higher stress within the joint. Further assessment must be conducted to develop tools that surgeons can use to ensure post-operative leg length is similar to the pre-operative condition. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Purpose. Leg length discrepancy after total hip arthroplasty (THA) sometimes causes significant patient dissatisfaction. In consideration of the leg length after THA, leg length discrepancy is often measured using anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiography. However, some cases have discrepancies in femoral and tibial lengths, and we believe that in some cases, true leg length differences should be taken into consideration in total leg length measurement. We report the lengths of the lower limb, femur, and tibia measured using the preoperative standing AP full-leg radiographs of the patients who underwent THA. Materials and methods. From August 2013 to February 2017, 282 patients underwent standing AP full-leg radiography before THA. Of the patients, 33 were male and 249 were female. The mean age of the patients was 65.7±9.4 years. We measured the distances between the center of the tibial plafond and lesser trochanter apex (A-L), between the femoral intercondylar notch and lesser trochanter (K-L), and between the centers of the tibial plafond and intercondylar spine of the tibia (A-K) on standing AP full-leg radiographs before THA operation. We examined the differences in leg length and the causes of these discrepancies after guiding the difference between them. Results. The mean A-L was 674±44 mm on the right and 677±43 mm on the left. The mean difference between the left and the right was 6.2±7 mm. The differences of ≥5 and ≥10 mm between the left and right were confirmed in 131 (46%) and 39 cases (14%), respectively. The mean K-L was 343±23 mm on the right and 343±23 mm on the left, with a mean difference of 4.4±4 mm. The lateral differences of ≥5 and ≥10 mm were confirmed in 88 (31%) and 22 (8%), respectively. The mean A-K was 325±22 mm on the right and 327±22 mm on the left, with a mean difference of 4±4.5 mm. The differences of ≥5 and ≥10 mm between the left and right were confirmed in 24 (9%) and 67 cases (%), respectively. Discussion. Considering the total length of the lower limbs beyond the little trochanter and the leg length after THA, we confirmed that 46% of the leg length differences of ≥5 mm were admitted to 14%. Thus, THA appeared effective. Perthes head, Crowe classifications 3 and 4, history of childhood paralysis, and so on may be factors for leg length differences beyond the lesser trochanter. Conclusion. We think that it would be preferable to prepare a preoperative plan to measure leg length after THA by measuring the total length of the lower extremity before surgery and determining the difference between the left and right sides

Introduction. While THA is associated with positive results and long-term improvement in patient quality of life, outcomes are nonetheless associated with adverse events and post-procedural deficits related to discrepancies in leg length (LLD), offset and cup placement. Post-THA errors in these parameters are associated with gait alteration, low back pain and patient dissatisfaction. Such discrepancies often necessitate revision and increasingly lead to medical malpractice litigation. Maintaining accuracy in post-surgical leg length, offset and cup placement during THA is difficult and subject to error. The sensitivity of these factors is highlighted in studies that have shown that a change of as little as 5 degrees of flexion or abduction can induce alterations in leg length of up to several millimeters. Similarly, positioning of implants can alter global and femoral offset, affecting abductor strength, range of motion and overall physical function. Compounding the biochemical issues associated with inaccurate leg length are the costs associated with these deficits. Traditional freehand techniques of managing intra-operative parameters rely on surgeon experience and tissue tensioning to manually place components accurately. These methods, however, are only able to assess leg length and are subject to inaccuracies associated with patient movement or orientation changes during surgery. Mechanical methods of minimizing post-surgical discrepancies have been developed, such as outrigger or caliper devices, although these methods also address leg length only and provide poor feedback regarding offset and center of rotation, therefore providing insufficient data to accurately achieve appropriate post-surgical leg length. Computer-assisted navigation methods provide more data regarding leg length, offset and center of rotation, but are limited by their cumbersome nature and the large capital costs associated with the systems. The Intellijoint HIP. ®. surgical smart tool (Intellijoint Surgical, Inc., Waterloo, ON) is an intra-operative guidance tool that provides surgeons with real time data on leg length, offset and center of rotation, thereby allowing for confident selection of the correct implant in order to ensure appropriate post-surgical biomechanics. The early clinical results from an initial cohort of patients indicate that Intellijoint HIP. ®. is safe and effective. No adverse events were reported in the initial cohort, and the smart tool was able to measure surgical parameters to within 1mm when compared to radiographic measurements. With training cases removed, 100% of cases had a post-procedure leg length discrepancy of less than 5mm. This paper describes the indications, procedural technique and early clinical results of the Intellijoint HIP. ®. smart tool, which offers a safe, accurate and easy-to-use option for hip surgeons to manage leg length, offset and cup position intra-operatively

One out of every five total knee arthroplasty (TKA) recipients is unhappy with the outcome of their surgery. As the number of TKA candidates continues to increase, so, too, will the dissatisfied patient population. These statistics should not be acceptable to the surgeons, hospitals, and patients implicated in this elective procedure. There are many contributing factors to patient dissatisfaction, paramount among them being post-operative levels of functionality and pain. Therefore, in an attempt to increase function and decrease pain levels through soft-tissue management, sensor-assisted TKA outcomes were compared with manual TKA outcomes. One hundred and fourteen primary TKA patients were evaluated: 57 sensor-assisted TKA patients; 57 manual TKA patients. All procedures were performed by the same surgeon. In order to reduce confounding variables, all patients were matched for: age, gender distribution, BMI, marital status, smoking proclivity, pre-operative ROM, pre-operative alignment, and employment status. Outcomes scores were captured pre-operatively, and at the 6-month interval, including Knee Society Score metrics and the Oxford score, as well as 6-month ROM. The sensor device used in this analysis is inserted into the tibial component, during the trialing, and displays loading values in the medial and lateral compartments (lbf.), and also displays the medial and lateral center of load location. In the sensor-assisted TKA group, balance was achieved for all patients, as previously described in literature. There was a statistically significant rate of improvement, for all outcomes measures, in the sensor-assisted TKA group when compared with the manual group (Figure 1). In addition to rate of improvement, there was also a significant trend towards a significance in ROM in the sensor-assisted group, as a stand-alone dependent variable (P = 0.002). By the 6-month follow-up interval, patients in receipt of a sensor-assisted TKA reported greater improvement in function and less pain than the patients in the manual TKA group. This data suggests that soft-tissue balance may contribute to faster recovery, as reported by the patient. Because pain and function play an integral role in patient satisfaction, further follow-up might yield higher satisfaction in the sensor-assisted patient group, which is consistent with previously published observations

Spezializing in subfields of Orthopaedics is common in anglo-american countries for more than 20 years. IThe aim of this paper is to demonstrate the necessity of fellowship programms in extremity orientated subfileds of orthopaedics. Analyzing the results of ankle arthrodesis performed by general orthopaedic surgeons campared to ankle arthrodesis performed by spezialized foot and ankle surgeons the difference in results will be demonstrated. Patients and methods. In 40 patients an ankle arthrodesis was performed between 1998 and 2012. Group A was formed by 20 consecutive patients treated by spezial trained Foot and Ankle surgeons and group B was formed by 20 patients treted by general orthopaedic surgeons. The average age in group A at the time of surgery was 59,9y (34 to79y) compared to 63,4y (41 to 80y) in group B. The average follow up was 34 months respectively 32 months after surgery. The study included a spezial questionnaire with the AOFAS score and rating of patients dissatisfaction. The successful healing of the arthrodesis was determied by using standardized radiographs, Furthermore a pedobarography, and a videoanalyzis of the walking was incuded. Results. All procedures in group A were performed using an anterior approach. Neither pseudarthroses, equinus or other malositions were detected in this group. In group B wurdenin 16 patients an anterior and in 4 patients a lateral approach was used. Complications included 3 pseudarthroses, 4 equinus malpositions, 4 varus malpositions, 4 valgus malpositions and 8 penetrations of the subtalar joint. The AOFAS score on average was 78 (46–92) points in group A and 75 (34 – 94) in group B. Conclusion. The analyzis of the data revealed that the results in Group A were comparable to the results published in the literature. Results in group B were inferior to those in group A and to the results published in the literature of Foot and Ankle surgery. Foot and Ankle surgery became more demanding over the last decades. As already shown in anglo-american countries spezializing in certain fields of orthopaedics is a necessity. More complex hindfoot surgery should be performed in special centers with an adequate case load

Background. Limb length discrepancy after total hip replacement is one of the possible complications of suboptimal positioning of the implant and cause of patients dissatisfaction. Computer assisted navigation become affirmed in last years for total hip replacement surgery and it is also used for the evaluation of the intra-operative limb length discrepancy. The purpose of this study is to verify the reliability of a navigation system with a dedicated software in intraoperative evaluation of limb lengthening and offset as compared with manual technique. Methods. Forty patients who underwent a Total Hip Arthroplasty in our institution were entrolled in this study. Twenty patients were evaluated with pre operative manual planning (group A) and treated with hand positioning of femoral stem. Twenty Patient were evaluated with preoperative manual planning and treated with Computer assisted navigation of Stem (group B). Mean operating time and blood loss were analyzed. Radiological and clinical follow up was made at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperative to assess any mismatch of implant, complications and clinical results that was measured with Harris Hip Score. Results. In the evaluation of the limb length and offset in group A there wasn't significance difference between pre and postoperative measurements obtained with manual planning. Also in group B there wasn't a significance difference between the measurement obtained intraoperative with computer assisted navigation and the one obtainedafter surgery and preoperative with manual planning. In any case we noted a limb length discrepancy in this series. No statistically significance difference was noted between the two groups in relations to the others parameters investigated. Conclusions. Based on our study the computer navigation system is a simple and reliable for the evaluation of limb length discrepancy and offset in total hip replacement. This Navigation system can offer to the surgeon a valid intraoperative information that can reduce possible errors in stem positioning and can reduce rate of length discrepancy

Introduction. Knee instability, stiffness, and soft-tissue imbalance are causes of aseptic revision and patient dissatisfaction following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Surgical techniques that ensure optimal ligament balance throughout the range of motion may help reduce TKA revision for instability and improve outcomes. We evaluated a novel tibial-cut first gap balancing technique where a computer-controlled tensioner is used to dynamically apply a varying degree of distraction force in real-time as the knee is taken through a range of motion. Femoral bone cuts can then be planned while visualizing the predicted knee implant laxity throughout the arc of flexion. Surgical Technique Description. After registering the mechanical axes and morphology of the tibia and femur using computer navigation, the tibial resection was performed and a robotic tensioning tool was inserted into the knee prior to cutting the femur. The tool was programmed to apply equal loads in the medial and lateral compartments of the knee, but to dynamically vary the distraction force in each compartment as the knee is flexed with a higher force being applied in extension and a progressively lower force applied though mid-flexion up to 90° of flexion. The tension and predictive femoral gaps between the tibial cut and the femoral component in real-time was determined based on the planned 3D position and size of the femoral implant and the acquired pre-resection gaps (figure 1). Femoral resections were then performed using a robotic cutting guide and the trial components were inserted. Methods. The technique was evaluated by three experienced knee arthroplasty surgeons on 4 cadaver knees (3 torso-to-toe specimens, Pre-operative deformity range: 4° varus − 6° valgus; Extension lag: 0° – 13°; BMI 23.4 – 32.6; Age 68 – 85yr). An applied targeted load of 80N in extension and 50N in flexion was used in each of the four knees. These force values were determined in a prior cadaver study aimed at determining what magnitude of applied load corresponded to an optimally rated knee tension and stability. The femoral component was planned in each of the four knees to have symmetric gaps at 0° and 90° of flexion. The overall balance of the knee was assessed clinically by each surgeon using a varus/valgus stress test with the trial components inserted. No soft-tissue releases were performed other than a standard medial release during initial exposure of the knee. The following scale was used to rate the final knee stability achieved: 1 – too loose; 2 – slightly loose; 3 – ideal; 4 slightly tight; 5 – too tight. Results. ‘Ideal' balance was achieved in three out of the four knees tested (table 1). In two of the four knees the final inserted thickness selected was 1mm thicker than the planned insert thickness. Conclusions. Our preliminary cadaver results suggest that it is possible to achieve a balanced knee by incorporating dynamic ligament tensioning and gap data throughout flexion into the femoral planning process using a robotic tensioning tool. For figures/tables, please contact authors directly.

BACKGROUND. Conventional TKA surgery attempts to restore patients to a neutral alignment, and devices are designed with this in mind. Neutral alignment may not be natural for many patients, and may cause dissatisfaction [1]. To solve this, kinematical alignment (KA) attempts to restore the native pre-arthritic joint-line of the knee, with the goal of improving knee kinematics and therefore patient's function and satisfaction [1]. Proper prosthetic trochlea alignment is important to prevent patella complications such as instability or loosening. However, available TKA components have been designed for mechanical implantation, and concerns remain relating the orientation of the prosthetic trochlea when implants are kinematically positioned. The goal of this study is to investigate how a currently available femoral component restores the native trochlear geometry of healthy knees when virtually placed in kinematic alignment. METHODS. The healthy knee OAI (Osteoarthritis Initiative) MRI dataset was used. 36 MRI scans of healthy knees were segmented to produce models of the bone and cartilage surfaces of the distal femur. A set of commercially available femoral components was laser scanned. Custom 3D planning software aligned these components with the anatomical models: distal and posterior condyle surfaces of implants were coincident with distal and posterior condyle surfaces of the cartilage; the anterior flange of the implant sat on the anterior cortex; the largest implant that fitted with minimal overhang was used, performing ‘virtual surgery’ on healthy subjects. Software developed in-house fitted circles to the deepest points in the trochlear grooves of the implant and the cartilage. The centre of the cartilage trochlear circle was found and planes, rotated from horizontal (0%, approximately cutting through the proximal trochlea) through to vertical (100%, cutting through the distal trochlea) rotated around this, with the axis of rotation parallel to the flexion facet axis. These planes cut through the trochlea allowing comparison of cartilage and implant surfaces at 1 degree increments - (fig.1). Trochlear groove geometry was quantified with (1) groove radial distance from centre of rotation cylinder (2) medial facet radial distance (3) lateral facet radial distance and (4) sulcus angle, along the length of the trochlea. Data were normalised to the mean trochlear radius. The orientation of the groove was measured in the coronal and axial plane relative to the flexion facet axis. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was measured. RESULTS. In the coronal plane, the implant trochlear groove was oriented a mean of 8.7° more valgus (p<0.001) than the normal trochlea. The lateral facet was understuffed most at the proximal groove between 0–60% by a mean of 5.3 mm (p<0.001). The medial facet was understuffed by a mean of 4.4 mm between 0–60% (p<0.001) - (fig.2). CONCLUSIONS. Despite attempts to design femoral components with a more anatomical trochlea, there is significant understuffing of the trochlea, which could lead to reduced extensor moment of the quadriceps and contribute to patient dissatisfaction

Purpose. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful surgeries with respect to relieving pain and restoring function of the knee. However, some studies have reported that patients are not always satisfied with their results after TKA. The aim of this study was to determine which factors contribute to patient's satisfaction after TKA. Methods. We evaluated 69 patients who had undergone 76 primary TKAs between March 2012 and June 2013, and assessed patient- and physician- reported scores using the 2011 Knee Society Scoring System and clinical variables before and after TKAs. We determined the correlation between patient satisfaction and clinical variables. Results. The mean (SD) pre-operative score was 8.2 (4.9) for symptoms, 11.5 (4.5) for patient's satisfaction, 13.1 (2.2) for patient's expectations, and 35.4 (18.2) for functional activities. The mean (SD) post-operative score was 16.3 (5.0) for symptoms, 20.7 (6.4) for patient's satisfaction, 9.1 (2.3) for patient's expectations, and 47.4 (19.6) for functional activities. We found that physician- reported scores were higher than patient- reported scores, and improvement in patient- reported scores was lower than that of physician- reported scores following TKA. We did not found a correlation between any pre-operative variables including expectation and post-operative satisfaction. Post-operative symptoms (r=0.51, p<0.01) and functions (r=0.39, p<0.01) correlated with post-operative satisfaction. The predictors of patient dissatisfaction after TKA were remaining symptoms and low postoperative activities. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that to relieve pain and to restore activities is important for increasing patient satisfaction after TKA. The 2011 Knee Society Scoring System allows surgeons to appreciate differences in the priorities of patients with TKA